Ventilator foe railroad-cars



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ASA HAPGOOD, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

VENTILATOR FOR RAILROAD-CARS.

Speccaton of Letters Patent No. 28,365, dated May 22, 1860.

To all 'whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, ASA HAPGooD, of Worcester, on the county ofTorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented an ImprovedRailroad-Car Ventilator, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact de scription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,making part of `this specication, in which- Figure l, is a perspectiveview of my ventilator. Fig. 2, a longitudinal vertical section throughthe same enlarged. Fig. 3, a view of a railroad car with the ventilatorattached.

The object of my present invention is to produce a simple and eiicientventilator for introducing fresh air into railroad cars, and forseparating the dust from the air before the air is admitted to the car.

I am aware that various devices havebeen employed for this purpose,among others a current of air has been driven by a fan (operated by therunning gear of the car) through or over a wheel which revolved in watercontained in a suitable box, thedust being thus deposited on the wheel,as the air passed through or over it. The air has also been driventhrough a screen which was kept wet by being revolved in or passedthrough water. These devices have been objectionable from theircomplication, necessitated by their connection with the running gear,and in order to make this connection more simple they have been placedat the bottom of the car where they received a larger proportion of dustthan they would if placed at t-he top of the car.

These objections I have overcome by my present invention which consistsin the employment of a light wheel composed of a shaft in which isinserted a large number of rods or spokes placed close together, thewheel being so arranged in a suitable casing or box that it will berevolved by the current of air passing through the box and impinging onthe spokes of the wheel which are exposed to the current, while thespokes as the wheel revolves are kept wet by being dipped into water topurify the air.

That others skilled in the art may understand and use my invention Iwill proceed to describe the manner in which I have carried out thesame. l

In the said drawings A, is a wooden box which is placed on top of thecar (as shown in Fig. 3) and communicates with the interior of the carby a circular opening a. On

t-op of this box is placed a hood B, having an open funnel-shaped mouthL, which is fixed to point in the direction in which the ed cars aregoing, so that the current of air caused by the motion of the cars willenter this mouth and passing around and through the box, as indicated bythe arrows in Fig. 2,

will enter the car through the opening The hood B, is attached to thebox A, by hooks c, and is made removable that its position on the boxmay be reverse-d, that is with its mouth pointing in the oppositedirection when the car is to be run with its other end foremost.

I may here mention that I prefer to make the box A stationary and thehood B reversible, instead of making the box to revolve on the pipe orconnectionat a as the attendant when he changes the hood will alwaysnotice if the water box (which will be presently described) is suppliedwith water. j

A water box C of sheet tin or other suit-` able material occupies themiddle of the box 30 A, in which it is supported by cleats d attached toeach side of the box A. A lip e projects a short distance inward at eachend of the box C, to prevent the water from being splashed over itsedges. A wheel D has 55 its bearing on each side of the box A and revolves in the box C, which is partially filled with water as shown inFig. 2, so that the spokes of the wheel as it revolves are constantlywetted. stout wooden hub f of as great a length as the width of the boxwill allow, which is filled with spokes g placed close together in rows,the spokes in one row being opposite the spaces of the adjoining one andthe diameter of the wheel being as great as can be conveniently admittedby the depth of the box C and t-he height of the hood B, so that thecurrent of air which enters the mouth b,

must pass through and in contact with the 10o mouth piece the air willbe forced through 110 the box in the direction indicated by the arrowsFig. 2 through the passage h when This wheel consist-s of a 90 providefor this and to render the action of the hood is in the position shown,and When the hood is reversed it Will pass through th space L to theoutlet a.

As the currents of air vvhichenter the mouth piece b and operate theWheel D, are varied by the normal direction of the Wind and the turns inthe road, they Will sometimes strike laterally on the ventilator andwill not enter the mouthpiece b, with sufficient force to operate theWheel D; To

the ventilator more certain, I have attached to each side of it a fan E,of sheet metal which is connected with the Wheel D, in the followingmanner: From each end of the hub projects a metal rod or spindle r,which rests in suitable boxes orV bearings placed on the edge of the boxA, this spindle extends beyond the side of the box A, and carries thefan E, Fig. 1, (which is a disk Z' of sheet metal with blades m) whichrevolves freely With the Wheel D. It has its lower half protected by ametal box G attached tothe side of the box A, While its upper half isexposed to the action of the currents of air.

With the above described self acting ventilator I am enabled to admit asuficient supply of fresh air to the car While connected; and as each.ventilator is intended to replace thefeomparatively useless metal Ypipeventilator Which now projects from the top of most of the cars in use,the car itself will require no material alteration in adapting myimproved ventilator to it.

Instead of the Wheel D being composed of series of spokes Gr, as abovedescribed, it may be made of a series of light frames covered With Wirecloth or other suitable material but the first plan is that Which Iprefer. The resistance which the Water in the box C offers to the spokesg, prevents the Wheel D, from being revolved too rapidly.

I Would recommend in connection with the use of ventilators for theadmission of fresh air into thefcar, such an arrangement of the Windowsor other openings at the sides and ends of the car, that there mayalways be sufficient exit space for the foul air, such openings beingplaced out of the control of the passengers.

lVhat I claimas my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-

The above described ventilator consisting of the box A, hood B, Wheel D,and Water box C, arranged and operating in the manner described for thepurpose specified.

ASA HAPGOOD.

Witnesses:

,Trios R. RoAoH, EDMUND MASSON.

